


Viewers Like You

by HYPERFocused



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Charity Auctions, Children's TV, Gen, M/M, Modern Era, Phone Calls & Telephones, Television, public broadcasting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-05
Updated: 2015-01-05
Packaged: 2018-03-05 10:52:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,641
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3117473
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HYPERFocused/pseuds/HYPERFocused
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's Pledge Drive week. Rodney's pledged to think about his life scientifically, and not let his hormones lead his heart. John has pledged to allow himself the emotional adventures the extreme explorer's been too cautious <strike>scared</strike> to take.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Viewers Like You

**Author's Note:**

  * For [danceswithgary](https://archiveofourown.org/users/danceswithgary/gifts).



> **Disclaimer:** I don't own them, so I can't offer you the DVD of this performance, with additional content not seen on TV for a donation to your PBS station  
>  **Author's Notes:** It seems like this sort of thing is right up DWG's alley, and I hope she likes it.

Dr Rodney McKay, PhD, PhD had two jobs.

One job required him to use his considerable intellect and background to expand the forefront of science far beyond what nearly everyone on Earth knew. It was fulfilling, and important work, but ultimately frustrating, because Rodney had always been of the view that knowledge was meant to be shared, and keeping people in the dark did them a disservice. Yes, he knew there were probably truths the average person would be shocked to learn, and might need to be eased into, but the process had to start now, before something Very Bad happened that the SGC couldn't fight or fix.

When Rodney wasn't holed up in a laboratory so deep under Cheyenne Mountain that it gave him the creeps when he thought about it too deeply, you could find him at his other, more public, job.

Rodney was better known to most people as the creator and host of "McKay's Marvelous Minds, on PBS, brought to you by a grant from the 3M Corporation (which was inadvertent but perfect symmetry), and by Viewers Like You."

A children's science show with a Steampunk visual style, He had actually agreed to the position after learning from Jeannie how lacking the school science programs were these days. He'd been appalled to learn how little his eight year old niece, Madison had been taught at her school. It didn't matter so much for Madison herself. She'd inherited the McKay intellect, and was years ahead of her peers, thanks to her mother, and Uncle Rodney. But the thought of future discoveries never being made, because kids weren't encouraged to love science,was horrifying.

"McMinds" taught both basic and advanced scientific principles in a way that drew in both kids and their parents,as well as a cult following who had no personal connection to kids at all, as far as Rodney could tell.They called themselves McKay's Minions, which he secretly kind of loved, even if it had different connotations since those movies had come out. Although it was true, Rodney had been called 'despicable' a time or two.

Having two jobs meant there was no time for a relationship, or anything like it. At least that was what he told himself, and anyone else who asked. Nobody much did, except for his little sister, Jeannie, who was bound and determined to get him married off, now that it was legal. No matter how many times he told her he wasn't gay, she never believed him. He wasn't, not completely. Yes, there was the occasional attraction that he acted on, but that was mainly because he just didn't have time for the whole step by step dating thing. If he'd thought he had the time to woo fellow Physicist Sam Carter, the way she deserved (or that she would _let_ him), it would have been a different story.

Guys were great, sometimes, but he wasn't going to fall in love with one. And when he did fall in love, or at least when it was returned (because he didn't intend to put himself through the mortification that was 'unrequited',again), he would never look at a man again.

Right now, Rodney was not looking at John Sheppard, former Air Force pilot, and current host of "eXpl0re!", a teen oriented travel and culture show, which pretty much made them rivals, if relatively friendly ones.

Sheppard had his own huge following, which included a disproportionate number of attractive women, and with all that opportunity, Rodney was pretty sure he had to be a slut of the first order, although come to think of i, Rodney had never actually seen John going off with any of these women. In fact, at events like these he mostly hung around Rodney, bugging him any way he could, which were myriad.

John was covering the phones in the section next to him, looking like an overgrown teenager, chair tilted back against the temporary panel behind them. Rodney wasn't noticing what nice hands Sheppard had, or how the soft looking tuft of dark hair poking out above his collar was ridiculously inviting. Certainly he had never watched John talk, and had prurient thoughts about his really rather ~~average~~ perfect bow of a mouth.

No, what Rodney actually said was, "Did your mother drop you on your head when you were a kid?"

John tilted his head quizzically. "Not as far as I can remember, why?"

"Because you're clearly inviting another head injury sitting like that."

"Thanks, Mom, I didn't know you cared." John made a show of sitting up properly. "Better?"

"I'm not your mother. Believe me, I would have remembered if my worst nightmare had come true." Ok, maybe not worst, but definitely worst that didn't involve parasitic aliens with God Complexes.

"Wow, McKay, you must think about me a lot if you have me in mind as your worst nightmare. You like me. You really do like me!"

"Right,Sally Field, I like you like I like lemon meringue pie."

"I thought you were deathly allergic to citrus." John's puzzled voice was more adorable than Rodney was prepared to admit.

"You _do_ have a brain under that ludicrous hair." Rodney didn't mention how touchable his wild, electrified hair looked.

" Of course I have a brain. I passed the Mensa test."

"Obviously I know you have a brain. I've seen "explode!" It's fairly impressive 'don't try this at home, kids' stuff."

"That's not exactly high praise," John pointed out. He was honest to God pouting like a little kid, which Rodney refused to tell him made Rodney want to kiss the expression off his lips. "And it's "eXpl0re!", not "eXplode!". Though I have to say, I'd watch the hell out of "eXplode."

"I think it sort of exists already. They call it Mythbusters."

It was funny, Rodney could _hear_ the 0 and the exclamation point in Sheppard's voice, which made absolutely no sense, but then that was true about so many things where John was concerned. Not least of which was John's effect on Rodney. He wanted to say it was just his libido, but it was more than that. Rodney was loathe to acknowledge it, but it was all too possible that John Sheppard was the exception to his 'men are just for fun before you commit to a woman' rule.

* * *

John Sheppard really kind of hated doing pledge drives. Not that he begrudged the need to raise money for PBS, he just didn't like doing those deadly dull interview/sales pitches that were so much a part of public television. The unfortunate fact was, as boring as it was to watch, it was ten times worse to film.

He didn't actually mind the phone bank part of things, because it gave him the opportunity to catch up with some of the other people at the network. Since his show filmed all over the world, he rarely got to do this. So he'd had a good conversation with Teyla Emmagen, whose Yoga with Teyla was a staple on Saturday mornings.

Ditto for the newest star on the scene, a relationship expert, whose 'Love and Sex with Ronon Dex' was a breakout hit. John really liked Ronon, and found his philosophy compelling: that the best way to find what you want in a partner is to spend an extended time in solitude. He himself had gone off on a year long retreat, and came back with the germ of his new book, and the idea for me show.

Then there was Katie Brown, whose 'Brown's Thumb' gardening series beautified many a Sunday afternoon. She was a sweet girl, but John did not appreciate the way she mooned over Rodney McKay.

Because that was John's job. He'd been doing it ever since he first saw him on air, before he'd even left the military. "McMinds" was just so much fun to watch, and McKay himself had a way of drawing in the viewer like a moth to a flame, which was exactly the sort of thing his show would explain. He was a born teacher, but from the little he was allowed to tell about his real job, those who do, also teach.

Some people might not see it, but Rodney was damn hot, albeit in an unconventional way. Those bright blue eyes, so big and clear it was like they were a mirror of his amazing, no, _marvelous_ , mind. His large, sturdy looking, expressive hands, his broad shoulders and solid, but soft looking body, and his incredible ass.

Despite Rodney' s irascible personality, and snarkiness, bad attitude and unwarranted orneriness, John just wanted him. This was why he always arranged to be seated next to him at these functions. When the banter was just right, and they were sparking off each other, he thought it was mutual. He wanted to kiss the smirk off Rodney's mobile mouth, and find out whether or not he was right.

When their three hour shift at the celebrity phone bank ended, and they'd escaped off-camera, John made his move. He beckoned a curious Rodney into a well hidden alcove, and turned to him, pulling him in by one square shoulder, while Rodney's large, warm, hand wound itself in the side of John's hair.

It was obvious they were on the same page, because it was impossible to tell who initiated the kiss.

More importantly, it was impossible for either of them to _stop_ kissing, and touching, with the clear promise or more to come, until the crew blinked the lights to let everyone know the studio would be shutting down until morning. "I think I love Pledge Week," Rodney murmured, pressing a final kiss into the pulse-point at the chollow of John's throat. John had to agree.

They walked out, hand in hand, into the crisp Colorado night.


End file.
